• Dawa Sherpa, a Nepali climbing guide, survived six days on Mount Everest after going missing.
• He crawled back to Base Camp, prompting an outpouring of relief from family and rescue teams.
• The season has seen over 1,000 climbers reach the summit, the busiest on record, but also five fatalities.

A Nepali climbing guide, Dawa Sherpa, known as "Hillary," was found alive after missing for six days on Mount Everest, prompting a wave of relief among his family and the climbing community. He was last seen on May 29 while assisting a Polish climber near Camp IV, approximately 7,500 meters high, before he went missing during the descent, triggering fears of a fatality. Sherpa was discovered crawling down the perilous slopes of the Khumbu Icefall, and officials described his survival as miraculous, according to South China Morning Post, BBC, and Reuters.

Initially declared missing after failing to return to Base Camp, hopes for Dawa Sherpa's survival faded due to the harsh conditions and lack of oxygen. His wife and daughter had even begun last rites rituals, assuming he was lost when a team from the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee located him crawling down near Base Camp on June 4. He was subsequently rescued and flown to Kathmandu for medical treatment, as reported by Channel News Asia and Al Jazeera.

Pemba Sherpa, executive director of 8K Expeditions, praised Dawa's resilience, saying, "This is a true self-rescue," highlighting the extraordinary nature of his survival amid critical oxygen levels and freezing temperatures. Climbers like Chris Thrall, who summited Everest with Dawa, had assumed he would return shortly but were taken aback by the news of his miraculous survival. Thrall recounted moments leading up to the guide's disappearance, emphasizing the harsh conditions faced during the climb, according to India Times and Al Jazeera.

As one of the last climbers of the season, Dawa’s ordeal unfolded amidst a record number of summits on Everest, with officials noting at least five fatalities among climbers this year. Following this season's surge in climbing activity, with over 1,000 climbers attempting to reach the summit, the challenge of descending safely remains a critical focus for climbers and rescuers alike, according to Reuters, South China Morning Post, and BBC.